Road to Rio: How to Qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games - Fencing.Net : Fencing.Net You are here: Home / News / Road to Rio: How to Qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games Road to Rio: How to Qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games Posted by Craig Harkins on April 19, 2015 · Leave a Comment With the 2015 Pan American Fencing Championships in full swing starting on April 17, 2015 the Olympic Qualification season has begun. Fencers from around the world are competing from April 2015 through April 4th, 2016 for the right to compete for Olympic glory at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. For the fencing events, a total of 212 athletes will compete across 10 events. Due to limitations on the size of the events by the IOC, nations are not guaranteed an athlete in each sport – nations and athletes have to compete against not only their countrymen, but others in their region or continent for an Olympic slot.

Since the introduction of Women’s Sabre to the Olympic program in 1996, the International Fencing Federation (FIE) has lobbied the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for an additional two medal events to be able to accommodate every fencing discipline. The IOC, however, does not want to add more medals for fencing, so the FIE is left with the choice of which fencing events will not have competitions in the Olympics. The FIE has chosen to rotate which fencing disciplines will not have the team event and for 2012 the disciplines to feature the individual competition but no team competition are Men’s Sabre and Women’s Foil. This leaves 10 total events for the Olympic competition: 2016 Olympic Fencing Men’s Olympic Fencing Events at the 2016 Games: Men’s Individual Epee Women’s Team Epee Women’s Team Sabre Overall, a total of 102 men and 102 women will qualify for the Olympic Fencing competitions with 8 athlete slots held open for the host country (Brazil) to enter athletes. How do athletes qualify to fence at the 2016 Olympics?

Because there are some weapons that are hosting a team event in addition to the individual event and some with only the individual event, there are slightly different qualification paths. For Men’s Sabre and Women’s Foil, only individual results matter and no more than 2 fencers from a country can qualify. For the other events, the primary qualification is through the FIE Team standings with some additional slots held open for individuals to qualify. The qualification period is tournaments fenced between April 3rd 2015 and April 4, 2016. Team Qualification Teams fencing at the 2016 Rio Olympic fencing competition are composed of 3 fencers. 8 teams will qualify in each team event with Brazil being able to choose to enter a team. (The alternate is not actually an Olympic participant unless they are subbed in.) Countries qualify their teams for the 2016 Olympics with the following formula (8 total slots): The top 4 teams in the FIE World Rankings as of April 4, 2016 (slots 1-4) The highest ranking team from each Olympic zone (Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe). The teams MUST be ranked in the top 16 of the world rankings.

IF a zone does not have a team in the top 16, then the zone loses it’s slot and that slot goes to the next highest team regardless of the zone. IF a country qualifies but declines to send a team, then the next highest ranking team in their zone is awarded the bid (provided those teams are in the top 16) Example: If we looked at the Men’s Foil team rankings as of April 19th, 2015 and used that for Olympic qualification these teams would qualify: France (#1 World Rank) United States (#4 World Rank) China (Asia Region – #5 World Rank) Germany (Europe Region – #7 World Rank) Egypt (Africa Region – #8 World Rank) Brazil (Americas Region – #12 World Rank) In this example, Korea would not qualify a team for the Olympics despite having the 6th ranked team in the world. This is why the Zonal championships in are a crucial step in securing qualification, as they provide a way to earn points directly against competition within the country’s own zonal division.

Zonal Championship Dates: Americas: Pan American Fencing Championships (Santiago, Chile) : April 17 – April 26, 2015 Europe: Fencing Euro 2015 (Montreux, Switzerland): June 6 – June 11, 2015 Africa: African Fencing Championships (Cairo, Egypt): June 11 – June 16, 2015 Asia: Asian Fencing Championships (Singapore): Jun 25 – June 30, 2015 Fencing.Net will be monitoring team rankings after each FIE team and individual tournament to update the qualification standings. Individual Qualification This goes into two parts, there is one qualification path for the events with team events and a separate path for women’s saber and men’s epee. We’ll look at the Individual + Team events first. In these events, 35 individuals will compete. The first 24 are made up of the 3 fencers (the starters) from the 8 qualifying teams. Next are the top 7 fencers in the FIE individual rankings by Olympic Zone.

(2 from Europe, 2 from Asia, 2 from Americas, 1 from Africa.) Only one fencer from a country can qualify in this fashion. No fencers with teams already entered may qualify from this path. The final 4 spots are reserved for a zonal qualifying competition. At this competition each country that does not have a fencer qualified may send 1 athlete to compete. The top fencers at the event qualify (1 Europe, 1 Americas, 1 Asia, and 1 African zones.) In no case may there be more than 3 fencers from a single country entered in the individual events. What about Men’s Sabre and Women’s Foil? Because they do not have a team event, the qualification process for these two disciplines differs. Top 14 in the FIE Rankings with a maximum of 2 fencers per country The next 8 are filled out by FIE rankings with only 1 fencer per country allowed and filtered 2 from each Olympic zone. The last 10 qualify from Zonal Qualifying events. Each country that does not have an athlete entered in the discipline can send one fencer.

The top 4 from Europe, 3 from Asia, 2 from the Americas, and 1 from Africa qualify. Finally, Brazil has the ability to use 8 total athlete slots as it sees fit to enter athletes in the Team and Individual competitions. (Note: If they use this to enter a Men’s Foil Team AND the 3 individuals in the individual event, that would count as using only 3 of the 8 athlete slots as the top 3 individuals on the team are automatically entered in the individual.) Fencing at the Rio 2016 Olympics: All you need to know - BBC Sport BBC Sport Fencing at the Rio 2016 Olympics: All you need to know 28 Jul Olympic Games on the BBC Venue: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Dates: 5-21 August Time in Rio: BST -4 Coverage: Watch on BBC One, BBC Four, Red Button and up to 24 HD video streams on mobile, desktop and connected TVs, plus follow on Radio 5 live and via live text commentary. How does it work? The aim of fencing is to hit your opponent in a one-on-one battle without being hit yourself.

Competitors wear protective clothing, including a mask, and the equipment is fitted to a buzzer which sounds when a point is scored by striking or touching a certain area on the body. The competition takes on a knockout format, with the first to 15 hits, or the one with the most points after three three-minute bouts, progressing to the next round. There are three weapon types: epee, foil and sabre, with men's and women's events in each, along with men's team epee and foil, and women's team epee and sabre. Epee is the only discipline in which a strike with the tip of the weapon on any part of the body counts as a score. In foil and sabre, fencers must make contact with certain target areas on their opponent's body. Who are the favourites? Italy topped the medals table at last year's World Championships with four golds - their major Rio hopes include 2012 foil gold and silver medallists Elisa Di Francisca and Arianna Errigo. Hungarian world epee champion Geza Imre is looking for a third Olympic medal, 20 years after his first.

The USA's 2012 opening ceremony flag-bearer Mariel Zagunis is targeting a fourth Olympic sabre medal. Inspired to try fencing? Find out how to get into fencing with our special guide . What about the British prospects? Britain will only be represented in the men's foil event. However, the men's team have been talking up their medal chances, with James Davis looking the best bet in the individual event. Richard Kruse also has the experience of three previous Olympics to draw upon. When is it on? Fencing begins in Rio on Saturday, 6 August and runs for nine days with finals taking place on each day. I didn't know that... Italian Nedo Nadi is the only fencer in Olympic history to win gold in all three disciplines at the same Games - in Antwerp in 1920. Previous British medallists Nine (one gold, eight silver). Most recent British medal 1964: Henry Hoskyns (silver, individual epee). Gillian Sheen (individual foil) won Britain's only gold in 1956. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Share this page fencing | sport | Britannica.com Fencing Miyamoto Musashi Fencing, organized sport involving the use of the sword — épée , foil , or sabre —for attack and defense according to set movements and rules. Although the use of swords dates to prehistoric times and swordplay to ancient civilizations, the organized sport of fencing began only at the end of the 19th century. For information on the art of Japanese sword fighting, see kendo . Giovanna Trillini (rear) of Italy successfully defending her world champion foil title against Wang … ALLSPORT USA/Pascal Rondeau Overview of fencing, including a discussion of the foil. Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz Early history The earliest depiction of swordplay is a relief in the temple of Medīnat Habu , near Luxor in Egypt, built by Ramses III about 1190 bce. This relief must depict a practice bout or match, as the sword points are covered and the swordsmen are parrying with shields strapped to their left arms and are wearing masks (tied to their wigs), large bibs, and padding over their ears.

Swordsmanship, as a pastime and in single combat and war, was also practiced widely by the ancient Persians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans, as well as by the Germanic tribes. The Romans brought sword combat to a highly systematic art that was taught to both their legions and gladiators. Gladiators were trained in schools (ludi) by professional instructors (doctores). Beginners practiced with a wooden sword called a rudis. More advanced training took place with weapons that were somewhat heavier than those used in actual combat. From the time of the fall of Rome through the Middle Ages, the practice of sword fighting continued unabated, although sword training became less uniform and began to reflect the ideas of the individual masters-at-arms. At this time, schools of sword fighting also developed a somewhat unsavoury quality, attracting members from the criminal element of society who wanted to learn the skilled use of weapons. Many communities found that the only way to deal with this problem was to outlaw fencing schools within their boundaries.

For example, in London in 1286 King Edward I passed an edict that decried “the most unheard of villainies” perpetrated by swordsmen and threatened swift justice for teaching sword-related skills. Despite such laws, fencing schools flourished. Emergence of swordsmanship and weapons Similar Topics tournament Among the nobility of Europe during the Middle Ages, the adept handling of a sword was hindered by the use of armour, which was virtually the only means of protection. Swords were heavy and used primarily to broach the protective armour. With the introduction of gunpowder in the 14th century, however, armour fell into disuse (musket balls easily pierced the armour, rendering it ineffective in battle). The sword was still the only weapon that could be worn on the body for self-defense, but the demise of armour required that the wearer learn to manipulate a sword skillfully—a matter that grew to be of paramount importance both in times of war and in a gentleman’s daily life. By the 15th century, guilds of fencing masters were formed throughout Europe, the most notable of which was the Marxbrüder (the Association of St.

Marcus of Löwenberg), which was granted letters patent by Emperor Frederick III in 1480. Early fencing methods as taught by the guilds were somewhat rough-and-tumble and included wrestling moves. The guilds jealously guarded their secret moves so that they could make use of the unexpected to defeat an enemy. Fencing was first supported in England by Henry VIII , who, sometime before 1540, granted letters patent to several fencing masters that allowed them to teach there. The early English style of fighting with a cutting sword and a buckler (a small shield worn on the free arm) ultimately gave way to the continental European rapier combat. Swords: Fact or Fiction? The Italians discovered the effectiveness of the dexterous use of the point rather than the edge of the sword. By the end of the 16th century, their lighter weapon, the rapier, and a simple, nimble, and controlled fencing style, emphasizing skill and speed rather than force, spread throughout Europe. Most of the wrestling tricks were abandoned, the lunge was developed and adopted, and fencing became established as an art. Britannica Stories Ringling Bros.

Folds Its Tent The long rapier was beautifully balanced, excellent in attack, and superb for keeping an opponent at a distance, but it was too heavy for all the movements of combat. Defense when fighting with a rapier was effected by parrying with the left hand, which was protected by a gauntlet or cloak or equipped with a dagger. Opponents’ thrusts were often avoided by ducking or sidestepping. In the latter half of the 17th century, the sword and swordsmanship changed dramatically with a change in gentlemen’s dress. In France the court of Louis XIV set the fashion of silk stockings, breeches, and brocaded coats, which replaced that of the doublet and hose, top boots, and cloaks. As the long, trailing rapier was unsuited to the new form of dress, fashion decreed the wearing of a light, short court sword. The French style set in throughout Europe as the Italian style had done earlier. Although at first derided, the court sword was soon recognized as an ideal light weapon which allowed for a multitude of offensive and defensive movements that would have been impossible with heavier weapons.

Its light weight permitted the sword to be used by itself, without the use of daggers, cloaks, or the free hand. Hits on the opponent were made with the point of the sword only, defense was effected by the wielding of the blade (fending off the opponent’s blade with one’s own sword), and what is now recognized as modern fencing came into being. At this time the French style fully displaced the Italian as the most-practiced form of sword combat. The French school of sword fighting was an academic form, with much emphasis on strategy and form. Conventions and rules were adopted to teach this form of swordplay. Additionally, the foil , or practice sword, was used to create a safe training environment . To further enhance safety, a mask was designed in the 18th century by the French fencing master La Boëssière and the celebrated duelist the Chevalier de Saint-Georges. Connect with Britannica Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest While fencing with the foil was becoming increasingly stylized, dueling with swords still continued. The complexities of foil fencing as practiced under the ideal conditions of the schools, or salles, with reverence for the set rules and conventions, produced a game that became an art of absorbing interest.

But this orthodox, controlled swordplay was of little account on a cold gray morning on greensward or gravel path when one faced a determined opponent with a sharp and heavier weapon who disregarded all conventions. Ironically, however, by the mid-18th century, when fencing had reached its peak in technique and theory, dueling with the sword had virtually disappeared because of the growing accuracy of firearms. From this time on, fencing took on the nature of a sport, and in form the swordplay of this time differed little from the modern sport of fencing. For those few who continued to follow the sword as a method of resolving conflict, the épée de combat was created in the second half of the 19th century. The practice version of this weapon was a regulation, though blunted, dueling sword, and it was used without limitation of target or other conventions. Except for the use of protective clothing, épée fencing closely approximated the conditions of a duel. The last of the modern fencing weapons appeared in the late 18th century, when the Hungarians introduced a curved sabre (adapted from the Eastern scimitar) for the use of their cavalry. The sabre was soon adopted by other European armies.

The heavy military sabre (and its counterpart, the naval cutlass) was used in fencing schools until the end of the 19th century, when the Italians introduced a light sabre that was soon accepted universally as a sport weapon. Organized sport Fencing became an increasingly organized competitive sport late in the 19th century. Basic conventions were first collected and set down in the 1880s by the French fencing master Camille Prevost. Officially recognized fencing associations also began to appear: the Amateur Fencers League of America was founded in 1891, the Amateur Fencing Association in Great Britain in 1902, and the Fédération des Salles des Armes et Sociétés d’Escrime in France in 1906. Britannica Lists & Quizzes Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies Meanwhile, fencing for men had been part of the Olympic Games with their revival in 1896. In 1900 the épée joined the foil and sabre as individual events in the Olympic program.

Team competition in the foil was introduced in the 1904 Games, followed by the sabre and épée in 1908. By the early 20th century, numerous disputes had arisen over various fencing rules. For instance, at the 1912 Olympic Games, France withdrew its entire team over a dispute regarding the target area for foil, and the Italians refused to fence in the épée events because of a rejected request to increase the allowed length of the épée blade. As a result, in 1913 the Fédération Internationale d’Escrime was founded and thereafter was the governing body of international fencing for amateurs, both in the Olympic Games and in world championships. Events for women fencers have been added to the Olympic contest over the years: individual foil for women was first included in the 1924 Olympic Games, and a team event for women was introduced in the 1960 Games. Women’s team and individual épée made their Olympic debut in the 1996 Games.

From the end of the 19th century until after World War II , épée and foil competitions were dominated by the French and Italians; thereafter, as fencing became more popular worldwide, the Soviet and Hungarian fencers became dominant. Especially in sabre, the Hungarians dominated for much of the 20th century. In 1936 the electrical épée was adopted for competition, eliminating the sometimes inaccurate determinations by fencing officials; the arrival and judgment of hits is completely registered by the electrical apparatus. In 1955 electrical scoring was introduced for foil competitions, making its Olympic debut at the 1956 Games, but judges are still required to interpret the priority of the arrival of hits. Electrical scoring for the sabre became part of the Olympic program at the 1992 Games. The electrical system used in fencing works on the same principle as the door bell. Fencers wear clothing made of lamé interlaced with copper threads; the lamé is sensitive to the electrical weapon. In épée the entire suit is sensitive, as the entire body is the target in that fencing variant; in foil, only the vest worn by the fencer is sensitive; in sabre the vest and mask are sensitive.

Cords are connected to the fencer’s clothing, to the weapon, and to the scoring box. (The cords connected to the fencer coil into a reel that is spring-loaded to take up any slack in the cords and prevent the fencer from tripping.) When a weapon touches the fencer with a small amount of pressure, a circuit is created and the scoring box reflects a hit. In Olympic fencing, the first fencer to record 15 points wins the bout. Bouts can also be of a predetermined duration, in which case the fencer with the highest score wins. Equipment A fencer requires a jacket, a mask, a glove , trousers or knickers, white stockings, flat-soled shoes, and a weapon with which to bout. Weapons of modern fencing Foils, épées, and sabres have blunted tips. At foil, hits must be made with the point of the weapon and are valid only when they land on the prescribed target area (the trunk of the body). At épée, hits are made with the point and, as the rules are based on the conditions of a duel, are valid wherever they arrive on the body of an opponent.

Hits by the sabre are made with the point, with the cutting edge, or with the upper third (the area nearest the point of the sword) of the back edge, on the opponent’s body from the waist up. Fencing weapons. On-guard positions and target areas in fencing. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Fencing conventions The conventions are rules designed to teach fencers to fence as if their blades were sharp. The rules are not arbitrary but are based on logical and intelligent behaviour. They instill in a fencer a specific response to an opponent’s move, as opposed to an instinctive reaction. Above all, the conventions establish right-of-way, or who has the right to hit whom at any given moment in an exchange of blade actions. The rules guide the fencer, helping create an advantage in distance and timing over the opponent and allowing the fencer to follow the most important precept of sword fighting—to hit an opponent and not be hit. Offensively, right-of-way is established by extending the sword arm straight and menacing the opponent with the weapon point. The other fencer thus becomes the defender and must parry (block) the attack before attempting any offensive action.

Once the defender produces a parry that deflects the attack, the defender claims right-of-way and becomes the new attacker by riposting (counterattacking). The initial attacker then becomes the defender, and must parry the riposte. Right-of-way thus alternates back and forth as one fencer creates an advantage over the other. In this sequence from a foil bout, the attack of the fencer on the right is met with a parry and … Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Wheelchair fencing One of fencing’s most recent developments is that of wheelchair fencing. German-born English neurosurgeon Sir Ludwig Guttmann introduced wheelchair fencing at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, England. Fencing was one of many sports therapies introduced by Guttman for WWII veterans who had suffered spinal cord injuries. In 1948 Guttman inaugurated Olympic-type competitions for disabled athletes at the Stoke Mandeville Games, and wheelchair fencing became a regular fencing event in Europe soon after. The first international wheelchair fencing tournament took place in the 1950s. Wheelchair fencing has been a part of the Paralympic Games since 1960.

This unique form of fencing was introduced into the United States in the 1960s but was not actively developed until the early 1990s. The fencing takes place in special frames designed to keep the wheelchairs stable. Wheelchair fencers go for five touches, as in standard fencing, but they cannot advance or retreat. Wheelchair technique includes ducking, making half turns, and leaning forward and backward to achieve or avoid touches; however, all touches must be generated without the athlete rising from the chair seat. While many beginning wheelchair fencers rely on muscle and aggressive methods of fencing, more advanced competitors develop technique and timing as their strong points. All three fencing weapons are included in the wheelchair game. Fencing in the movies Sword fighting in the movies has been a primary source of the modern public’s awareness of fencing. In 1920 Douglas Fairbanks’s silent film The Mark of Zorro gave the world a fresh image of the heroic swordsman. From this moment on, fencing was associated with swashbuckling adventure. Before Zorro, movie fencing consisted of some fairly primitive blade whacking.

Fairbanks was the first to ask a fencing master to advise on a production, creating the first movie swordplay that actually resembled fencing. Fairbanks’s best fencing films include The Three Musketeers (1921), Don Q, Son of Zorro (1925), The Black Pirate (1926), and The Iron Mask (1929). Other silent-film actors who fenced in their films with varying degrees of success include Ramon Novarro, Rudolph Valentino , and John Barrymore . The leading fencing masters working in films of this period were Henry Uttenhove and Fred Cavens. The next wave of movies to feature fencing came in 1935, spurred on by Errol Flynn ’s Captain Blood . In Captain Blood the fencing was more intricate and expertly staged than in earlier, silent films.

Some of the most popular swashbuckling films of this era—and the actors who starred in them—include Ronald Colman in The Prisoner of Zenda (1937); Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), The Sea Hawk (1940), and The Adventures of Don Juan (1949); Tyrone Power in a remake of The Mark of Zorro (1940), and The Black Swan (1942); and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., in The Corsican Brothers (1941). The most successful fencing masters working in Hollywood at this time were Fred Cavens, Ralph Faulkner, and Jean Heremans. There were few large-scale films featuring fencing in the 1950s and ’60s, as Hollywood shifted its primary focus to realism and psychological drama.

The few popular sword-fighting films of this time were Cyrano de Bergerac (1950), featuring José Ferrer ; Scaramouche (1952) and a remake of The Prisoner of Zenda (1952), both of which starred Stewart Granger; and At Sword’s Point (1952) with Cornel Wilde . Cavens, Faulkner, and Heremans were still the major fencing masters in film at the time. The third and most recent incarnation of swashbuckling films arrived in the mid-1970s, beginning with director Richard Lester ’s The Three Musketeers (1973). At this juncture movie fencing began to reflect directors’ desire for historical accuracy, and the action took on a more realistic look.

Films highlighting fencing in this period include Lester’s sequel to his Three Musketeers, entitled The Four Musketeers (1974); Ridley Scott ’s The Duellists (1977); Highlander (1985), featuring Sean Connery ; the comedy The Princess Bride (1987); The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–03); and the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy (2003–07), starring Johnny Depp . Also of note were the films in the Star Wars trilogy (1977, 1980, and 1983), which featured a kendo-type of fencing with sabres that had blades of light. It should be noted, however, that movie fencing remains a poor representation of actual fencing technique. Sword fighting for the movies requires broad, flashy, and easily followed actions to produce a dramatic effect. The art and sport of fencing, on the other hand, requires precise and economical actions to be successful. Men’s world fencing championships Winners of the men’s world fencing championships are provided in the table. World fencing championships—men Fencing: Do fencers all use identical swords, or can they pick their own brands?

- Quora Quora Written Sep 5, 2012 While not identical, they must conform to a set of standards, and be inspected by an official before each bout. There are a number of manufacturers of parts that can be assembled into fencing weapons, though they are probably more similar than different. About the widest variation is in the design of the grips for foil and epee. As long as a grip adheres to the standard, they can take on many different forms, though soem are probably more useful than others, and most fencers opt from a small subset of the available options. Sabre grips, on the other hand, tend to all be the same shape, and tend to differ in the material they are made from (metal, wood, or plastic core), and the material the core is wrapped with (usually plastic, rubber, or leather). Written Jan 6, 2016 Basically: yes. The particular properties of the blade, grip and guard you have to use are spelled out in the rules. From the perspective of pretty much anyone outside the sport, this makes different fencer's weapons indistinguishable. This isn't Formula-1 and it isn't even competitive swimming with their fancy suits.

(Or is that also more regulated these days?) At the same time, there is some variation allowed. At least in sabre, blades can vary a little in how much they weigh and how flexible they are. I'm not sure what the rules are exactly, but you'd only be able to tell the difference either by comparing two directly or by fencing with the for a while: even for the fencers, the difference is subtle. Oh, and they come in slightly different colors. This doesn't matter at all, but it's actually visible! Written Aug 18 Though the blade, guard, and overall length vary little, the grip in foil and epee can differ greatly, with different shapes offering different strengths. There are grips that allow for delicate fingertip control, others that give strong control of the blade but are not as dexterous, grips that shift control to the wrist more than the fingers, etc. Some are ergonomic and the hand fits into a curved shape with channels for all the fingers. Choosing the class of grip that suits one’s style is an important equipment choice, and top fencers often have grips custom made.

the three general categories are French (a square grip with a curve to it), Italian (a straight round grip with a cross bar (quillons) that one or more fingers rests over, and Pistol Grip, an ergonomic shaped grip that allows one to hold the weapon at a sightly different wrist angle. The pistol grip has many different variants Written Nov 3 There is actually a lot that can be customized about your weapons. I’m an Epee fencer, so I’ll talk about Epees. The guard, socket, barrel, wire, and such are going to be mostly the same. They won’t affect your weapon’s performance of handling, so you don’t need to worry about them. The grip will see the most variation. Most people fence with a standard Visconti pistol grip, but many prefer to use a French grip. Even within French grips there is a lot of variation though. If you use a normal French grip, you have to decide what size pommel to use. You could also choose a Leon Paul French grip though, which is more like a tennis racket handle than anything else. There are a lot of different pistol grips too. Even once you’ve chosen a grip, you have more decision to make.

Do you want to shave down any part of the grip? I know a fencer who fences with a German grip for the length but cut off almost the entire prong because it was too long. You can also apply tape to parts of your grip to prevent blister, give more grip, etc. You also need to decide how much to cant your weapon. This is changing the angle which the grip intersects the blade at. It will affect point control and defensiveness of your guard. Once you've done all of that, you need to decide what blade you want to use. STMs are cheap, and work reasonably well, but break easily. FIE blades will cost a lot more but will last years if taken care of. They have variations in stiffness though. BF Blues are quite stiff, but have good point control (hard to bend back into shape though). Vnitis are incredibly flexible and are perfect for flicks. Leon Pauls are weird, but work well on French grip weapons. There’s a lot to think about when purchasing a weapon. Don't worry about it when making your first purchase though. You have to try out as many of these things as you can and see what works best for you.

Fencing is an olympic sport in which athletes use a foil, sabre or epee. by Alex on January 28, 2016 Wounds of the flesh a surgeon’s skill may heal but wounded honour can only be cured with steel 19th century challenge to a duel The sword is two things – a weapon and a symbol. The blade itself inclines to deeds of violence, says Homer in his ancient epics. As a weapon, the sword has taken the lives of many; as a symbol, it has conquered the imagination of man, and what it means to be a man. “Know your enemy, know his sword”, says the famed duelist Miyamoto Musashi. The sword has been a part of history from the earliest times. It evolved into a test of manliness in the melee of medieval tournaments. It became linked with honour in Japan and Europe, and much blood was spilt to heal wounded pride. By the modern era, after almost 50 centuries of continuous use, sword-mastery had evolved into a form of art. With the advent of the gunpowder warfare, it became a sport. The sport of fencing.

Fencing as a modern sport is made up of three disciplines, each with different scoring criteria and striking strategies: Foil – A light thrusting weapon (500g) which scores only on thrusts, i.e. the tip of the weapon has to hit the opponent. The scoring area is restricted to all parts of the torso. A foil competitor is called a foilist. Sabre – A light weapon (500g) with which the fencer scores with a thrust or a slash, i.e. the tip and the edge of the weapon. The scoring area is restricted to all parts of the arms, the torso and the head. A sabre competitor is called a sabreur. Epee – A heavier weapon (770g) with which the fencer scores only with thrusts. Any part of the body from the foot to the head may be targeted. An epee competitor is called an epeeist. A central tenet which determines the strategy of fencing in foil and sabre is the rule of “right of way” (row). Row determines who may strike and who must defend during a match. If a person attacks and his blow is defended, then the right to attack passes to the defender.

If the two fencers attack at the same time and hit, the point is awarded to the one who has row. Epee does not follow the role of row. This makes the attack and defense strategy of this division very different. All divisions require that the fencer wears the following equipment: Plastron – A protector that covers the body and extends to cover the sword arm of the fencer. Croissard – A jacket worn over the plastron with a gorget to protect the neck. Glove – Bearing an extended gauntlet to protect the upper arm, a lone glove is worn on the sword arm. Breeches – Trousers ending just below the knee. Knee length socks. Mask with bib to protect the neck. Additional electric equipment is also worn for scoring purposes. Fencing tournaments consist of team and individual events which take place across the various divisions. In the individual event, fencers compete in a round robin (rr, or all-play-all tournament), after which final match-ups are put together and elimination rounds begin. . In round robin rounds a match is won when a fencer scores 5 points; the eliminations, a match is won when a fencer scores 15 points.

Round robin matches are a single round of 3 minutes, while elimination matches are 3 rounds of 3 minutes. In team events, the winners are determined by total points. Fencing is one of the rare sports to have been contested at every single one of the modern Olympics. Fencing Online | Intro to Fencing | Training Tips | Fencing Sites | | Fencing FAQ | Armory | Calendar | History of Fencing - Where did it start? Swordfighting as sport has existed since ancient Egypt, and has been practiced in many forms in various cultures since then. Although jousting and tournament combat was a popular sport in the European middle ages, modern FIE fencing owes more to unarmoured dueling forms that evolved from 16th century rapier combat. Rapiers evolved from cut-and-thrust military swords, but were most popular amongst civilians who used it for self-defence and dueling. Rapiers were edged, but the primary means of attack was the thrust. Rapier fencing spread from Spain and Italy to northwest Europe, in spite of the objections of masters such as George Silver who preferred traditional cutting weapons such the English broad sword.

The Spanish school, under masters such as Narvaez and Thibault, became a complicated and mystical affair whose geometrical theories required much practice to master. Italian masters like Agrippa and Capo Ferro developed a more pragmatic school in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, introducing innovations such as linear fencing and the lunge. By the 18th century, the rapier had evolved to a simpler, shorter, and lighter design that was popularized in France as the small sword. Although the small sword often had an edge, it was only to discourage the opponent from grabbing the blade, and the weapon was used exclusively for thrusting. The light weight made a more complex and defensive style possible, and the French masters developed a school based on defence with the sword, subtlety of movement, and complex attacks. When buttoned with a leather safety tip that resembled a flower bud, the small sword was known as le fleuret, and was identical in use to the modern foil (still known as le fleuret in French). Indeed, the French small sword school forms the basis of most of modern fencing theory.

By the mid-19th century, dueling was in decline as a means of settling disputes, partially because victory could lead to a jail term for assault or manslaughter. Emphasis shifted to defeating the opponent without necessarily killing him, and less fatal dueling forms evolved using the dueling sword, or epee de terrain, an unedged variant of the small sword. Later duels often ended with crippling thrusts to the arm or leg, and fewer legal difficulties for the participants. This is the basis of modern epee fencing. Cutting swords had been used in bloodsports such as backsword prizefights at least as far back as the 17th century. Broadswords, sabres, and cutlasses were used extensively in military circles, especially by cavalry and naval personell, and saw some dueling application in these circles as well. Training was performed with wooden weapons, and stick fighting remained popular until Italian masters formalized sabre fencing into a non-fatal sporting/training form with metal weapons in the late 19th century. Early sport sabres were significantly heavier than the modern sport sabre and necessitated a strong style with the use of moulinets and other bold movements.

As with thrusting swords, the sabre evolved to lighter, less fatal dueling forms such as the Italian sciabola di terro and the German schlager. Hungarian masters developed a new school of sabre fencing that emphasized finger control over arm strength, and they dominated sabre fencing for most of the 20th century. Dueling faded away after the First World War. A couple of noteworthy duels were fought over disputes that arose during Olympic games in the 1920s, and there have been rare reports of sword duels since then. In October 1997, the Mayor of Calabria, Italy, publicly challenged certain Mafiosos to a duel. German fraternity dueling (mensur) still occurs with some frequency. The first modern Olympic games featured foil and sabre fencing for men only. Epee was introduced in 1900. Single stick was featured in the 1904 games. Epee was electrified in the 1936 games, foil in 1956, and sabre in 1988. Early Olympic games featured events for Masters, and until recently fencing was the only Olympic sport that has included professionals.

Disruptions in prevailing styles have accompanied the introduction of electric judging, most recently transforming sabre fencing. Foil fencing experienced similar upheavals for a decade or two following the introduction of electric judging, which was further complicated by the new, aggressive, athletic style coming out of eastern Europe at the time. Women's foil was first contested in the 1924 Olympic games, and Women's epee was only contested for the first time in 1996, although it has been part of the World Championships since 1989. Women's sabre made its first appearance in the 1998 World Championships as a demonstration sport. Quoted from the Offical Fencing FAQ Also see: Modern vs. Classical Fencing - Main differences. From the FAQ Links of the Week About Fencing About Fencing Email Fencing is an ancient sport that has been modified and improved over hundreds of years. Fencing is one of only five sports that has never been absent from the Summer Olympics and is regarded as a very prestigious sport. While traditionally fencing was until first blood was drawn, the sport has developed and along with it strict safety measures in the way of protective gear and rules have been set in place.

Fencing has long been regarded as a safe sport for participants and spectators to enjoy. In fencing there are three main weapons, or styles of fencing, these are Foil, Épée, and Sabre. Foil is the most commonly fenced style in New Zealand and is used by most coaches here to teach the basics of fencing. Many students then branch out to try the other weapons, while they can appear quite similar to spectators, the rules vary significantly between each style. In foil participants wear a metalic vest called a lamé which is the target for their opponent to hit with the tip of the blade. A foil is lightweight compared to the other weapons and has a smaller hand gard. Foils have a small button on the tip that must be pushed down on the oponents target in order for a point to be scored. If both oponents hit at the same time a referee is used to make a decision as to who had the right of way and over all who gets the point awarded to them. Épée is slightly different in that the oponents whole body is your target so participants do not wear lamés like in the other styles.

Épées have a larger hand guard than foils to protect the users hand better from the heaver much stiffer blade that is used. Just like with foil points are scored by pushing down the tip of the weapon on your target. In épée both opponents can score a hit at the same time if they hit within 40 milliseconds (1/25 of a second) as each other. While this sounds difficult it actually occurs quite frequently. Sabré participants, like in foil, wear lamés however instead of just covering the chest and back the target for sabre extends down the arms and also includes the mask that participants wear as valid target. The key thing that separates sabré from the other styles is the way the weapon works, instead of a button on the tip, participants can score against their oponent using any part of the blade and any level of contact on target will mean they are awarded a point. Like in foil if oponents hit each other at the same time a referee decides who gets the point based on the rules. In London Olympics fencing, sabre event is thrust into spotlight - latimes LONDON OLYMPICS At London Olympics, sabre event can prove worth savoring Mariel Zagunis of the U.S.

is seeking another gold medal in a mystifying sport whose participants are said to be 'the 100-meter sprinters of fencing.' July 31, 2012 |By David Wharton American Mariel Zagunis, left, battles France's Leonore Perrus… (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles…) LONDON — An Olympic sabre match looks something like a pirate movie. Two rivals square off, brandishing long blades. In the blink of an eye, they charge and commence hacking away. Only there is no blood and no one falls to the deck, so it's hard to tell who won. And when the point has ended — often in a second or two — the competitors turn to glare at the referee because even they don't know who struck first. "There's a bit of gamesmanship," said Tim Morehouse, a veteran fencer on the U.S. team. "Everyone does it." At the 2012 London Olympics on Wednesday, this often overlooked event figures to draw some attention as Mariel Zagunis tries for her third individual gold in as many Games. But even if people tune in, they might not know what they're looking at.

Many of the fans who purchased tickets to attend fencing competitions at the ExCeL complex this week seemed confused. That included Chris Coles from Plymouth, England, who brought his family. "Sometimes I look at the scoreboard more than the fencers," he said. "I'm trying to work it out." Morehouse, a two-time Olympian who also happens to have a master's degree in education, has devoted himself to promoting the sport. Sitting with a reporter during Tuesday's matches, he tried to explain. "If you go to a baseball game for the first time, you might not understand that either," he said. "But there's a lot to love." PHOTOS: London Olympics Day 4 Sabre is faster than its cousins, epee and foil, because competitors can score by touching any part of the blade — not just the tip — to the opponent's upper body. As Morehouse put it, "We're basically the 100-meter sprinters of fencing." The best way to watch is by focusing on movement. Fencers in sabre may score only if they initiate an attack, or repel the opponent's attack and then move forward.

So when the opponents step up to their respective en garde lines, about a dozen feet apart, starting quickly can be crucial. The action often takes place near the center of the 40-foot strip. Competitors wear metallic jackets and spaceman-like helmets that are equipped with electronic sensors and lights — green for one, red for the other — to indicate if they have scored. The lights often flash simultaneously, which leads to much fist-pumping and staring down of officials, trying to influence the decision as to who deserves the point. "The reason we're so demonstrative is because we're wearing masks," Morehouse said. "You have to display your emotions with your body." This can make the sport — while still mystifying — highly entertaining. It might explain why the puzzled fans at ExCeL have been consistently loud. It seems that fencing has been sneaking its way into the sporting consciousness, Google featuring a pair of fighters as its daily doodle earlier this week. On Wednesday, NBC's family of cable networks will show almost three hours of Zagunis' quest for a third gold, beginning with the round of 32 at 5:45 a.m. The entire competition is being streamed live over nbcolympics.com.

"I think it's getting bigger and bigger," said Race Imboden, a U.S. fencer who finished ninth in the foil event Tuesday. Morehouse hopes that if people give the sport a chance, they will be patient. "You just need to watch and learn as much as you can," he said. "You'll like it." Fencing in the Olympics: Who Can Win in Rio 2016? | GamingZion This list shows the top online gambling sites in Brazil . Fencing in the Olympics: Who Can Win in Rio 2016? Written by Bence on 2016-08-02 at 08:58 You can bet on fencing at the Olympics being exciting! Fencing in the Olympics is one of the most prestigious sports, but do you know its rules, its history and its best players? Let us help you find it out! Fencing in the Olympics will kick off soon after the Opening Ceremony on the 6th of August. The first game will start at 2 PM.

That will be the women’s individual épée, however the encounters still not have been drawn so online sportsbooks in Brazil are still unsure about the favourite of the golden medal in the Olympic fencing category. But let’s learn some more about the basic rules of fencing. What are the main rules of fencing in the Olympics? Remember what Arya Stark has been taught in Game of Thrones? Rule number one for fencing is “stick’em with the pointy end.” Of course, that’s not enough to know about Olympic fencing rules, but it’s something to begin with. The aim is to score points by sticking the opponent with the pointy ends of their tools. To understand fencing in the Olympics, you must understand how this sport consists of several categories. The Olympic fencing categories are the following: épée, foil and sabre. Each of these can be played individually or in teams and of course women and men compete in different categories. However, in Rio 2016, women’s foil team and men’s sabre team will not be included. The weapons used by the athletes differs based on which category they are competing in. Foil fencing players use a light weapon that cannot be heavier than 500 grams.

Hitting arms and legs do not count as points in foil according to Olympic fencing rules, only the torso (and the back), the neck and the groin counts. In the épée fencing category, the weapon is a little bit heavier: it can be heavy up to 775 grams. The entire body counts as target in épée and also only hitting the opponent with the pointy end lets you score. In sabre, the Olympic fencing equipment consists of your weapon, which is once again at most 500 grams, just like in foil. Athletes can score with the entire blade and the entire upper-body part is the target except for the hand holding the weapon. Who are the greatest Olympic fencing legends? Online betting news in Brazil accept the fact that this sport is rather popular in many countries, however the 2016 Olympic Games’ hosting country is not one of the best fencing nations. Fencing is quite a big thing in several European countries, including Italy, France or Germany and the UK, but it’s rather important in Eastern European countries such as Hungary, Romania and Russia as well.

Géza Imre would be very épée to win (Photo: Index) In fact, we can find several Olympic fencing legends from Hungary, starting with six-time Olympic champion Pál Kovács and 2-time Olympic champions Tíme Nagy, Bence Szabó, Ildikó Újlaky-Rejtő and Ilona Elek. Another important Olympic fencing legend is Valentina Vezzali from Italy, who has 15 World Championship gold medals apart from her 6 Olympic wins which is an outstanding achievement. Which Olympic fencing athletes could be the best in Rio 2016? This year, a total of 247 fencing players will compete each other in hopes of collecting as many Olympic fencing medals as possible. The oldest one of them is Hungary’s 41-year-old Géza Imre, who has been Olympic champion twice and has a total of 4 Olympic medals. He might still be favourites as he is the reigning world champion in épée.

The youngest one of the competitors is Egypt’s 15-year old Mohamed Hamza, who will not be regarded as one of the favourites to win Olympic gold according to online sportsbooks , but this year when Leicester becomes Premier League winner in football…anything can happen in the Olympics as well. And the young, despite not being experienced enough, always come with incredible energy. Fencing betting odds are not yet available so it’s not the best time to bet on who is going to be the best fencing player in the world yet, but collecting information is always necessary. Read through our other articles in connection with the Olympic Games in Rio 2016 and place the best bets at online sportsbooks to make the most out of your Olympic betting! To learn more about gambling in Brazil, check out the country home page . For more Brazilian gambling and betting news, click here . To read other latest news please check online gambling news page.

Question: In what sport (also in the Olympics) do the participants use a foil or a sabre?
Answer: Fencing